Fishing with artificial lures is convenient and productive for the angler. Live bait must be kept alive and replenished frequently from a bait shop or other source. Artificial lures do not require the same care. Many artificial lures are attractive to fish when fished with skill and are productive in catching fish.
One type of lure includes a jig head. The jig head provides both a hook and a weight. The weight allows the lure to be cast out some distance and provides control of depth of the lure on retrieval.
Many species of fish can be found in weedy environments. A lure is cast out and retrieved through the underwater weeds. If the hook is exposed, the hook will gather weeds and lose its attractiveness to a fish. The lure becomes fouled with weeds. Also, the lure easily snags on weeds and cannot be retrieved. A snagged lure may have to be cut off and left in the water. Therefore, it is preferable to use a lure that is rigged in a weedless configuration, wherein the lure is unlikely to gather weeds or become snagged on weeds.
There are a number of ways to rig a lure in a weedless configuration. For example, with a soft plastic lure or bait, the hook point is embedded in the plastic. The hook is not exposed and will not snag on weeds. As another example, a brush guard may be used. A brush guard includes stiff bristles that are positioned in front of the hook point. However, some anglers think a brush guard detracts from the attractiveness of the lure to fish.
Some anglers desire to rig a lure with a skirt to provide movement in addition to the lure. As the skirted lure is retrieved through the water, the streamers of the skirt move relative to the remainder of the lure. Such movement catches the attention of fish. Providing an attractive lure with a jig head, a weedless bait and a skirt has proven difficult.